Roswell Fanatics

Title: All We’d Ever Need
Author: Katie/CandyliciousLovah
Disclaimer: The characters of Roswell belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.
Pairings/Couples/Category: Mainly M&M but the others will make an appearance too. Alternate Universe with Aliens
Rating: Mature/Adult, for strong language & sexual references (they will come eventually)
Summary: He would always be her “Space Boy”, but what happened in the ten years since they left Roswell? And where do their group of friends factor in? Read on to follow Candy’s journey back to each other’s “orbit”!
Author’s Note: Lady Antebellum sparked the title of this fan fiction. I’ve seen them live in concert and got to meet the group (That’s right, all you jealous Lady A fans! I got to meet them! ). I listened to the lyrics and they seemed to scream Michael & Maria for some odd reason. So if you have any questions about it, you can PM me or leave a comment when I post it.
Author’s Note #2: Since my fellow Roswell fan got me hooked on the show, I would like to dedicate this to her. Also, I have gotten a little inspiration from music. I’ve been listening to Carrie Underwood’s new album “Blown Away”, and it’s provided me with more and more ideas on what to write. It’s between that one and the latest Lady Antebellum album “Own the Night”. I have been watching a few episodes repeatedly. Her favorite one was “285 South” and I do like that one a little, but not as much as “Crazy”. Anyhow, some of the lines from “285 South” are in this chapter, so do enjoy it!

Chapter One

The wind was blowing a little as she stepped out of the SUV as quietly as possible so she didn’t wake the sleeping passengers in the back. Her dark blonde hair was beginning to fall out of the ponytail she’d worked very hard to put up that morning, and as Maria DeLuca Guerin stood outside the recently renovated Crash Down Diner, she knew her appearance could wait for a little bit. She gave Liz Parker Evans an enthusiastic wave and a soft, sweet grin as her dark-haired friend came out to join Maria. The two of them exchanged one more grin before Maria moved forward to claim a hug from Liz. Liz stepped back a little bit to get a good, long look at her friend. “I’m so glad you could make it, Maria,” the brunette said.

“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t dare miss an opportunity like this. No, sir,” Maria said with a soft laugh. Her laughter died instantly the moment she spotted her ex-husband sharing a joke with Max Evans, Isabel Evans Ramirez and Kyle & Tess Valenti. Nearby, Alex Whitman sat playing games with the Evans & Ramirez children while keeping an eye on the recently widowed Isabel. Maria gave her friend a pointed glare. “Why…why did you invite him, Liz?”

“I didn’t, Maria. I swear to God. Max did; they are best friends, you know. Max couldn’t say no to him coming,” Liz tried to explain to her now obviously upset friend.

But Maria only shrugged it off. She didn’t have a hold on her “Space Boy” anymore. But she did miss him holding her late, late at night, especially after the birth of their son M.J.:

Early 2006 – New Jersey

“He’s not going anywhere, Michael,” she said in a soft, sweet murmur. He didn’t realize Maria had snuck up behind him but he gave her a lopsided grin over his shoulder as her arms wrapped around his lean, muscled waist. Maria was finding him sexier with each year that flew by.

“I know. But I believe Maxwell to be a bad influence. He once told me that he watched Zan just before he gave him up for adoption,” Michael replied.

Present Day – Roswell

Maria shook out of her thoughts as soon as she realized Liz was attempting to get her attention. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I can see him again. You understand, don’t you?” she asked the once-quiet brunette, who nodded in complete understanding.

“If you want, M.J. and Mercedes can stay here with me and Max while you get settled into a room at the new hotel,” Liz offered. Maria gave Liz a soft, sweet smile before hugging her fiercely. They moved over to the SUV and Liz helped get her godchildren out of the dark vehicle.

By then, brown-haired M.J. and blonde-haired Mercedes had woke up from the slumber that came between Mississippi and New Mexico, and it made things so much easier for an expectant Liz. “I’ll be back to pick them up later,” Maria told her friend, who nodded again. “Can you make sure they get a nap after lunch?” Liz continued to nod as M.J. and Mercedes ran inside to great their favorite uncle happily with hugs and kisses.

Hugging Liz one last time, Maria took one more forlorn look of longing at her ex-husband before climbing into her trusted vehicle – a gift from Michael for their first wedding anniversary – and backing out of the diner’s parking lot with practiced ease. She pushed on the accelerator a bit, one hand coming up and wiping away the tears as she headed toward the Crash Down Hotel, a branch of the diner’s growing franchise. She was proud of her two dearest and best friends but a part of her wished that Michael hadn’t walked out on her. Besides being her husband & lover in every sense of the word, he’d made it his first priority to listen to her complaints once the work day was done for. But there was no one to listen anymore…Michael Guerin had left her and she had to be strong now.

But how could she be strong and still want to fall apart if all she ever really needed was to feel his strong arms holding her fiercely close and whisper that everything would be okay? She certainly didn’t know that answer to that question, not today, at least. After checking in under Lucy Valenti – Jim told her she could use his name any time she wanted to – Maria drove around to the back of the two-story, one building hotel and parked the car. Oh great. Here come the waterworks again, she thought to herself as she prepared to steel herself against the onslaught of emotions that were slowly coming back to flood her already broken heart. Maria let out a shaky, troubling sigh, realizing she could never truly get Michael Abraham Guerin out of her heart. She jumped slightly at the quiet tap, tap on her car window.

Maria’s hand instinctively reached out to finger the buttons on her car door but she didn’t quite make it before the door was wrenched open. She let out a soft gasp but her ex-husband’s mouth moving expertly over hers in that quick, silent manner of his immediately shut her up. But Maria just as quickly pushed Michael away. “No. I’m not doing this with you again. I’ve worked too hard to put my guard down for you, Michael then bring the walls back up around my heart. So no…just no,” she said with a soft, shaky sigh. Shoving him hard, she removed the seat belt across her chest and midsection before climbing out of the SUV. Maria glared at Michael when he refused to move out of her way. “I’m not doing this with you, Michael. Just…please go away and let me be.”

He trapped her between the car and his body, angling the hard muscles against the soft curves of hers and making damn sure she couldn’t escape his smoldering gaze and that sexy smirk of his. “No. You’re not leaving until I get the truth,” he said in that low, hoarse tone. She shivered and it wasn’t from the cold since the sun was on the opposite side of the building. “Liz told me that you hadn’t been ready to see me. Could it be that you still want me…Maria?” Her name rolled so easily off his tongue and she shuddered, her tongue darting out quickly to moisten her suddenly dry lips.

But if Michael really thought he was going to start winning her back by seducing her, he was wrong…dead wrong. Maria’s knee came up and forcefully kicked him in the groin, making him think that she was going to give in. He fell onto his knees on the ground and she took the opportunity to go to the back of her vehicle so she could get hers and the kids’ luggage out to take up to the room they’d be staying in for the reunion. Maria seriously hoped it was a short weekend because she didn’t want to deal with Michael any more than she wanted to. She knew Michael had followed her for she soon found herself picked up and she reacted instantly by wrapping her legs around his lean waist, moaning quietly in the late morning air as his lips attached to her neck, nipping the skin above her pulse point. “Michael…” she said in a soft murmur.

“Yes, Maria?” he replied softly back, pausing in his trek up the stairs, sitting down with her still in his arms. He pulled back to look at her, the flashes so strong: “I can’t do this, Liz!” Maria moaned out.

“Yes you can, Maria. You’re strong, you can do this,” her friend replied, refusing to grimace as Maria squeezed the circulation out of her hand. Maria moaned some more as she leaned forward for the pain of another contraction. Michael could feel her pain as if it was ripping through him. He jerked back, Maria falling out of his lap and onto the ground beneath the stairs.

“What the hell, Michael?” she yelled at him as she got up and dusted herself off.

He only glared at her. “Is Mercedes mine?” he demanded hoarsely. He had to know why she would lie or hold the truth from him for over three years. But she only stomped past him still sitting on the stairs, giving him the silent treatment as she went up to where the door to her suite was located. Michael was beyond furious at her sudden silent treatment towards him and he went after her, pushing her against the door to the hotel room she was now standing in front of and smashing his lips to hers in a non-gentle manner. He refused to let up on the demanding caress of his lips sucking her bottom lip between his teeth until she finally went lax in his arms, her own coming up and wrapping around his shoulders.

But she still pushed him back to glance at him. He saw the fury hiding beneath the fresh tears that sprung to her eyes. “Why, Michael? Why did you leave me…leave us? And why did you wait until now to ask about your little girl?” she asked, and he could hear the emotions wreaking havoc in her tone.

“They would have put as much distance between us as possible. They would have labeled you crazy for knowing an alien and ripped our son from the only home he’d ever known & placed him with complete strangers. Did you really think I would even allow that to happen to MY family?!” He shoved away from her, turning his back to her and clutching the railing until his knuckles turned white. She reached out and wrapped her arms around him from behind, placing a gentle kiss to the nape of his neck and holding him ever tighter as the sobs racked throughout his body. Once all of his tears had dried, Michael turned around, his hands came up to gently frame her face in them and her gaze locked with his as he smiled at her. The sadness still hinted a bit in his eyes but it looked like it was beginning to fade away. “We beat the odds, didn’t we, DeLuca Guerin? We overcame every obstacle, even me taking your mother’s Jetta.” He laughed a little at the memory:

October/November 1999 – Outside of Roswell

Maria turned to give him a pointed glare as she brought the red Jetta to a stop. “What kind of answers are you trying to provide me with? You do not watch The View,” she said in an ordering kind of tone.

“It keeps me in touch with my feminine side,” he said with a smirk aimed at her.

She let out a scoff. “Whatever. I’ll just fill out the answers for you,” she replied as she unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the car.

He waited until she had approached the guy running the gas station before he undid his own seatbelt and climbed from the vehicle himself. He moved around the car and climbed into the driver’s seat, reaching out to start the ignition.

Maria turned around from collecting the payment for the endless supply of alien-like products Amelia “Amy” DeLuca made and sold to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, groaning and rushing in front of the car to stop the person driving from going anywhere. She moved around to climb into the passenger seat. “You’re stealing my car?” she demanded in that annoying tone of hers.

“I’m borrowing your car. Now get out,” he said, wondering and hoping and praying that she would obey his demands.

But she didn’t move. “This is my car. Actually, this is my mother’s car, and if anything happens to it, life as I know it will be over. So, wherever it goes, I go,” she said, her hands moving in wild gestures.

“Fine. You had your chance,” Michael said brusquely before turning the wheel to leave the parking lot of the gas station.

Maria began freaking out. “You’re kidnapping me?! No, wait, you’re abducting me!” Michael only rolled his eyes when she wasn’t looking…

Present Day – Roswell

Maria’s body shook with laughter. “I’ll never forget that day, Space Boy,” she replied, still grinning as she looked into his eyes. Her smile began to falter a bit when she noticed the passion beginning to creep back into his gaze, and she gulped down what was left of her courage. “Space Boy…” Her voice had chosen now of all times to betray her functioning brain – or what was left of it? When his head began to lower, the opportunity for hesitation and refusal passed Maria by quicker than she wanted it to but her body refused to function as well. So she accepted what he was offering, her face meeting his halfway so their mouths could meet in a gentle caressing of two sets of lips but the moment she accepted his tongue sliding along the seam of her lips, the ball came into her side of the court – and Maria took immediate control. Her hands came up and brushed along his broad, muscled shoulders, her fingers caressing along his closely-shaved scalp as their kiss turned into an intimate and demanding one.

Finally Michael lifted his head and laid his forehead against hers. His breath warmed her skin as his chest rose and fell with each uneven, ragged pant that came from between his lips. Her name slipped out between breaths and it took all of her willpower to finally accept what she had been trying to deny for over three years: she still loved and wanted her former husband. “Maria…if we do decide to take this inside, I want you to know that I plan to be a better husband to you and father to M.J. and Mercedes. You should also know that you were never far from my thoughts and that I never once refused to stop loving you. You are my whole life, Maria. You taught me to love and to really understand what it meant to have a home, a wife & kids to come home to after a long day at work. So please ask me to stay with you tonight, Maria Gillian DeLuca Guerin, and allow me to prove how much I can’t stop loving you.”

She began to nod, tears springing to her eyes as his lengthy but still romantic speech finally came to an end. “Kiss me again, Space Boy,” she said in a soft murmur. Michael gladly obeyed her order and let his head lover once again, his mouth teasing hers a bit.

Author’s Note #3: And there y’all have it! The first chapter of my FIRST EVER Roswell fan fiction is NOW complete! And PLEASE DON’T be confused by the banner Keisha made, the other couples are still on there, just not the way I had hoped it would turn out.

keepsmiling7 Thanks, Carolyn! I wouldn't say all the way bad influence, but he did think that Michael would want to watch his son sleeping too. I'll get more into details in Chapter 3, I promise!

begonia9508 Oh my goodness, another review! Thanks Eve! This actually takes place in the current time, so if the show were still on, we would be around... 12 or 13, if I'm not mistaken. I shall get more into detail of what happened between M&M in my next chapter, which I hope to post sometime in the mid-week to come. With both of my two volunteer jobs coming up once school starts (I work in a library and a classroom), updates will be somewhat scarce but I will definitely update!

Disclaimer: The lyrics of the song at the beginning of this next chapter belong to their respected artist. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.
Author’s Note: My last chapter went up to a little over six pages on the word document I was using for the fan fiction, and I knew I was satisfied with the outcome of it. After this next chapter, I’ll begin doing/writing what the other couples/characters have been up to since leaving the town that became so very familiar to them! ENJOY!!

Song/Lyrics/Artist: Angel of Mine (verse 2) by Monica

Chapter Two

I look at you, looking at me
Now I know why they say the best things in life are free
I’m gonna love you boy you are so fine
Angel of mine

Maria’s breath came in snatches as she proceeded to drown in her former husband’s gaze when he slowly lifted her two-layer tank top over her head. She lifted her arms to make the process a little less complicated and once the navy blue-and-white material was gone, Maria returned the favor. Her nimble fingers released the buttons of his pitch black dress shirt until his denim jeans prevented her from doing the rest. “Don’t, Space Boy,” she said, her voice raspy and soft when he looked like he was going to rid himself of the shirt. She missed the quizzical look in his eyes as she proceeded to burrow beneath the material, breathing in the familiar scent he wore.

This didn’t go unnoticed by Michael but he still gently pushed her back until she was lying back on the bed. Maria sat up on her elbows to watch as he ripped the shirt away from his body. The undershirt he wore came next and Maria’s breath caught at the familiar sight of his six-pack abs. He grinned as he stepped closer once again, leaning on fisted hands over her. “Once a day, no matter how early or late it is/was, I still fit in a workout,” he said, his voice equally soft and raspy. She nodded, her eyes quickly darting between his intense gaze and his lips dipping closer and closer to hers. She let herself meet him halfway, their mouths coming together in a soft and gentle caressing of lips, and a soft moan fell from between her lips at the feel of his sinful tongue sliding along the seam of her closed lips to seek entrance inside. Maria quickly accepted his tongue sweeping each corner of her mouth before it began a sinfully erotic tango with hers as they fell back onto the bed. Michael remembered to catch most of his weight on his elbows so he didn’t crush her.

She arched into him when she felt his callused, nimble fingers undo the clasp of her tangerine-and-red bra, shivering once the cool air in the room moved over her bare upper body. A gasp fell from her lips at the feel of his lips, teeth and tongue nipping, licking and sucking a trail down her jaw, past the pulse point in her neck, and stopping at the bare tanned skin of her breasts. Maria sucked in another breath at the exquisite, torturous feeling she got the moment his mouth began to tease over the dark pink tip of her breast, his tongue licking the underside of it before he took it fully into his mouth, suckling like a baby would when it needed its milk. “Michael…” His name ripped from her lips in between the soft, ragged pants at each tender & teasing whisper of his lips on her skin.

He rolled them until she was on top before scooting to the edge of the bed with her still in his lap. Maria came back to reality upon realizing his intentions to remove any remaining outer body clothing, starting with her skirt. She climbed off of his lap, shaking her head in a ‘no’ motion when he looked like he planned to make a move to follow her into a standing position. Michael gulped as his eyes watched every movement she made, starting when her hands stopped at the waistline of the navy blue pencil-shaped skirt that showed off her gorgeous legs. After they’d stumbled into the room, she had kicked her shoes off, forgetting about them altogether as soon as their gazes had locked. One of her hands – so small and slender compared to his – reached out and gently settled onto the left side of his chest, right over his unsteadily racing heart. His right hand came up to gently cover hers, keeping it in place as he stood to full height.

Now it was Maria’s turn to gulp again as she stared up at him. His eyes were dark with passion but she could also see a bit of love shining behind it. Her tongue darted out very quickly and licked her suddenly dry lips and it was all Michael could do to rein himself in. He finally let his hand drop from covering hers on his chest, lowering it until it stopped at the waistline of her wispy-thin skirt. She followed his hand a nanosecond later, assisting him in the removal of the soft material until she was left in…absolutely nothing. Maria gave him a soft, sweet and teasing smile. “I took them off during the drive over here,” she confessed with a quick shrug of her shoulders. “They provide so much…hindrance, don’t you think?”

“Dammit, woman…Are you trying to kill me?!” he ground out, wanting to keep a cool head about this but with the way she looked in the fading sun, she was making it awfully damn hard for him to even think.

“Oh no. I think I can very much bring you to life, Space Boy,” she replied. Her eyes gleamed with a hint of mischievousness as her fingers and hands whispered along the waistline of his hip-hugging denim jeans, teasing him a little bit.

A deep growl ripped from his chest before he swept her into his arms, turning and tossing her onto the bed. She landed with a soft plop and he climbed atop her, his mouth brushing hers in a teasing manner before he sat up, keeping the lower half of her nude body pinned beneath his as he began to hastily remove his jeans. He seriously thought he could wait, but he was beginning to grow impatient to have her writhing underneath him as he made her come harder than she could ever imagine. Michael finally won the fight against the restriction his jeans were providing, kicking both his jeans and boxers away. “I can’t wait for you to change your mind,” he said, his attempts to keep a straight face quickly failing.

Maria nodded in complete and silent understanding as her eyes followed his every movement while he sought for and finally found a foil square in his wallet. He wordlessly held it out to her as he lies back on the bed, completely and utterly naked and silently feeding her sudden need to have him with nothing between them. She threw the packet in no general direction before straddling his lean, muscled hips. “I want you, Space Boy. So fuck me,” she said softly. He didn’t hear a hint of regret or remorse in her voice, and so he cupped himself in one hand and guided his member into her. Then he took a hold of her hips and guided her until sh

keepsmiling7 Yes, she could, Carolyn! Thanks for reading

ZC70 Aw, thank you so much! I'll let you know more about the whole "breaking the bond" thing eventually. But for now, I'm going to keep y'all in suspense!

Author’s Note #1: I don’t know how many fans there are of Tess/Lamptrimmer/Kyle, but I do hope y’all enjoy the next chapter after this!! Oh, and I’ll be including my female original character from the fan fiction I am planning to write that will be Jim-centric. Thanks for checking me out and taking the time to leave me such lovely reviews!!

Chapter Three

Maria was now upset with Isabel for pushing Michael so far. His emotions were something that shouldn’t be played with; Isabel knew that bet

Maria’s dress for her date with Michael (It should be featured in the next chapter. I’ll move the Kyle/Tess and Jim/Charlotte scenes to Chapter 6.)

Author’s Note #1: So, I was raised in a Christian church but that didn’t stop me from “falling in love” with romance novels at the tender age of 12! And up until 3 years and almost 4 months ago, I was absolutely terrible at writing “sexy” or “racy” love scenes. Believe it or not, I recently got the hang of writing my own love scenes. But in that time, I truly believe I have matured when it comes to writing them. And I would like to apologize in advance for shoving TWO new chapters down everyone’s throats when I should have started out slow and posted one chapter at a time. ENJOY!!

Chapter Four

On the drive over to Max and Liz’s house, Sean asked his cousin questions about Liz and her current “condition”. “How pregnant is she exactly?” he asked, flipping through Maria’s CD collection while the blonde sang softly along to the song currently playing.

Maria stopped singing and cast a quick glance over at the former rebellious kid sitting next to her. She turned back in time to avoid crashing into another car. “Wow. Sean, I’m surprised you would even ask that. You did come close to dating her, you know,” she reminded him in that tone he had begun to hate – and sometimes ignored when it was convenient to.

He shrugged. “Get to the point, Maria,” he demanded hoarsely.

“My point is…why wait until now to ask how she’s doing in her condition? You didn’t ask when she was expecting Tristan,” she pointed out to him once more as she turned the wheel slowly before they were on the right street.

“Because I was too busy with therapy and cleaning up my dirty laundry – no pun intended – and keep you from going stir-crazy. Someone had to stick around to keep you sane, Maria, and I had to step up and take some responsibility,” her cousin replied.

As the duo climbed out of the car and walked up to the front door together, Maria put her back to the door after knocking quickly three times and looked up at her cousin through sunglasses that probably took up half of her face. “I don’t know, Sean. Responsibility doesn’t seem like a word I’d associate with you. Yeah, I don’t think it really suits you at all,” she said with a teasing grin.

He grabbed her in a headlock without thinking twice and she was struggling to get away when the front door opened and they immediately stopped what they were doing when Liz spoke after shaking her head and pointing her finger at them in a maternal manner. “And here I thought you had left your juvenile ways behind you, Sean DeLuca. Shame on me for thinking that way.” Then she grinned teasingly and opened her arms to an equally grinning Sean, who stepped forward and embraced all of her, big baby belly included. Liz pulled back after a few minutes and though Maria saw the tears, she knew they were happy ones. “How have you been, Sean?”

Sean followed her inside and Maria trudged along behind them both, closing the door behind them all. She listened to them talking but time stopped the moment she heard her two children come running into the room to greet her in happiness. Mercedes jumped into her mother’s arms and held tightly to Maria’s neck. She took notice of Sean sitting in the living room but didn’t say anything about him being there. “Momma, is it true what Aunt Lizzie said about my Daddy being here for the ‘union?” she asked as she played with Maria’s hair, loose around her shoulders.

“Yes, baby girl, it is,” Maria replied and hugged her daughter to her. Then she pulled away to look at Mercedes. “But your daddy and I talked about it and he told me that he wants to meet you.”

Mercedes’ eyes lit up with joy and curiosity. “He said that?” she asked in surprise. Maria smiled and nodded in response to her daughter’s question.

“He sure did, baby,” Maria replied, the smile dropping from her face immediately when she turned the moment her cousin tapped her on the shoulder and gestured to Liz breathing hard and clutching her stomach. “Stay with them, Sean, and call an ambulance or something.”

“Already done,” he responded immediately. They both turned when they heard the sirens coming close to turning on the street where Max and Liz lived. Sean took Mercedes from his cousin without being told twice and stood in the doorway still holding her as Maria left with the paramedics in the ambulance. Mercedes clung to Sean’s neck as he turned to go back inside, where he was greeted with the sight of M.J. and Tristan barreling down the stairs.

“Where are Mom and Aunt Maria going?” Eight year old Tristan asked Sean as they looked up at him expectantly.

Sean lowered himself to their height with Mercedes still in his arms. “You’re about to become a big brother, Tristan. Maria went with your mom so she could call your dad and have him meet her at the hospital,” he explained to the best of his ability.
Michael and Kyle both kept in perfect sync with an obviously anxious Max as the three men all ran into the hospital. As a father himself, Michael knew the anticipation that had come with Annabelle’s impending arrival had finally burst open the flood gates of anxiety. Michael spotted Maria in a corridor to their right and nudged Kyle. The second dark-haired man nodded and headed in that direction while Michael went to calm down a now frantic Max. “Maxwell,” he called out to his “brother” and the taller dark-haired man stopped what he was doing to walk up to Michael with his head held partially downward. Before he could say anything else to help his friend calm himself down, Maria walked up to the pair, a tiny bundle wrapped in bright baby pink in her arms.

She expertly folded a corner of the blanket back and allowed Max to take the long-awaited peek at his daughter. “Max, say hello to Annabelle Victoria Evans, your little girl,” Maria said. She easily transferred Annie into his arms and stepped back to watch him with his daughter. Her eyes eventually drifted over to meet those of her ex-husband’s, as she remembered the moment the nurse placed Mercedes into her arms:

January 6th, 2009 – Early Morning

New Jersey

Maria was starting to worry. She and Liz both waited with bated breath for the nurses to finish doing their thing with Baby Girl Guerin. Liz moved away so the nurse who carried her back over could place her goddaughter in her mother’s arms. “Hi there, Baby Girl. Oh, I know that’s a terrible brightness, isn’t it? We need to give you a name, don’t we? Let’s think for a minute, huh? Hmm…how about Mercedes?” The baby finally ceased her cries, her eyes beginning to drift closed at the soft, soothing voice talking to her. “Okay, Mercedes it is. Mercedes Charlotte Guerin…”

Present Day – Outside of Roswell

Maria must have closed her eyes for when she opened them she was staring straight into Michael’s worried gaze. She gasped softly and stumbled backward, losing her footing but Michael latched onto her arms and kept her from falling to the floor. “H-How long were you standing there?” she asked in an urgent whisper when he continued to hold onto her.

“Long enough to know you were having a memory,” he replied in a soft, raspy voice. It sent shivers down her spine whenever he talked to her in that voice but if she were to start over again with him, he at least deserved to know the truth about their daughter.

“Yeah. I was remembering the moment the nurse at the New Jersey hospital placed her in my arms. As soon as it happened, I knew I was going to stay strong for our little girl,” she replied softly, her gaze beginning to drown in his. He nodded, finally wrapping his arms around her and Maria took comfort in the silent strength his embrace held. She was suddenly glad he’d been Max’s second-in-command, for she was getting used to his commanding ways, since they seemed to rub off on her. She was pretty tough on her former nurses and sometimes on M.J. when he didn’t listen to her or follow her rules. Finally she pulled back to gaze once again at her ex-husband. “Am I a bad mother for keeping Mercedes away from you?”

“What?! No, you had every right to want Mercedes safe from the terrible things that would have come if they found you, Maria.” He was aghast that she would even think like that about herself.
Down the hall, Max eased the door – Maria had told him the room the doctor had put Liz in after her short labor – open and continued to cradle Annie in his arms as he moved forward. He smiled when he found Liz sleeping and tiptoed so he didn’t wake her up. He eased down into the chair beside the bed, and must have fallen asleep with Annie still in his arms because he woke up a short time later to find his and Liz’s entire group of friends admiring the little girl Maria was giving a bottle to. Max couldn’t help but notice the brief looks she exchanged with Michael but didn’t say anything about it as he grinned over at his never-prettier wife. She scooted over on the too-small hospital bed and he accepted her silent offer, his arms wrapping around her post-baby body. Their legs intertwined to make more room for the other person and he kissed the side of her head in complete and utter devotion. He glanced over at Maria when she spoke. “So I thought we could call my mom on Skype and show her the newest addition to the Evans family as well as the rapidly expanding group. What do you think, Max? Are you okay with showing off Annie to my happily engaged mother?” Maria asked with a grin as she bounced Annie to quiet her cries.

“Wait a minute. Amy’s engaged?!” Kyle asked from where he stood behind test, his arms wrapped around her from behind. “How did I not know about this? She did almost marry Dad!”

“Because I didn’t know about it until before I left to come here, Kyle, sorry,” she replied with a smirk. He made a face at her and she returned the gesture before turning back to Max and Liz. “Is that okay with you two if we do that?”

Both of the new parents exchanged a look before Max looked over at Maria. “Did you bring a laptop?” he asked and she nodded, gesturing to Alex with her free hand. She gently moved Annie into Isabel’s waiting arms so she could sit down with the computer programmer and work her magic.

Within a few minutes, Maria had successfully gotten a hold of her obviously frantically busy mother. “Mom! Hi, have you got a few minutes to say hello to someone?”

Amy nodded, sitting down in what looked to Maria to be a chair. “Sure, sweetie,” everyone heard her reply. Maria gestured for Isabel to hand Annie to her parents’ arms before slowly turning the computer around for dramatic effect. She grinned when she heard her mother’s gasp of surprise. “Oh! Oh, my goodness! Welcome to the world, Annabelle Evans, and I hope to see you and your parents soon!” Maria turned the computer back around so she could see her mother again. “Are you coming to the wedding, darling?”

“And miss the opportunity to bond with my future stepfather and step-siblings? Count me in for that!” Maria said with a soft chuckle. “M.J., Mercedes & Sean will be coming too as well as another impatient person I know.” She giggled when Kyle glared at her before leaning down next to her so Amy could see him.

“Hi, Amy,” he said with his famous Valenti smile. “Congratulations on the engagement and I can’t wait to see you for the wedding.”

“Since you’re on, Kyle, I was hoping you wouldn’t mind asking your father if he’s up for the task of walking me down the aisle,” Amy explained. Kyle nodded and pulled out his cell phone.

“Let me call him really quick,” he told her and she nodded in answer before he stepped away to call Jim Valenti. Within a matter of moments, Kyle was back to give Amy an answer. “He said he’d be delighted to do it. ‘Anything for an old friend,’ he told me.”

Amy chuckled. “I knew he’d agree to do it.” She paused and listened to someone speak to her off camera. “I hate to chat and run, but I need to get back to wedding stuff. Maria, I love you and can’t wait to see you, Sean, Kyle and the kids for the wedding. Kyle, say hello to Charlotte and your siblings for me. Ciao!” The screen went blank and Maria handed the computer back to Alex before she scrambled out of her seat and rushed quickly out of the hospital room.

Michael was about to go after her when Isabel stopped him. “No. Let me talk to her, Michael. She obviously needs a woman’s perspective right now,” she said softly. He stepped back and allowed her to work her magic. But she stopped short when she found Kyle had beaten her to the petite blonde.
Maria jumped slightly at the sound of Kyle’s voice at her elbow as he offered her a tissue for her nose. “I hate that I’m not with her planning the wedding!” she spat out. Kyle rubbed her arms in brotherly affection as he listened to her rant on and on before she finally stopped and looked up at him. “Am I wrong to accept Michael back into my life and the lives of our children? Because it feels right to do that. I know none of us will be able to stop the FBI and the military from coming after us, but I want him in my life and in M.J.’s and Mercedes’ lives.

“Then let’s start with a real date, Maria,” Michael said from where he stood off to the side but still kind of behind Kyle. “You, me, a candle or two…you wearing a dress that takes my breath away and me dressed in a nice shirt and pants. What do you think about that…Space Girl?” He whispered the last part in her ear and she shivered then pulled him closer, her fingers clutching his shirt in tight fists.

“Give me a few days and we’ll do it, Space Boy,” she responded to his question. She wanted Liz, Isabel and Tess to help her prepare for the date and she didn’t want Liz to be in the hospital when it happened. He nodded, completely understanding why she wanted to wait for their date.

begonia9508 Thank you, Eve, for pointing out my mistake. I’m still new to posting here, sorry!

Grace52373 I thought Annabelle seemed like an appropriate name for Max & Liz’s daughter, don’t you? That way, it can represent Isabel’s name for her human side and the Victoria part would be for Vilandra.


Disclaimer: The lyrics of the song at the beginning of this next chapter belong to their respected artist. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.
Author’s Note: So with summer vacation days almost behind me and school days closing in, life will certainly not be dull, that’s for sure! But I’ll be ready for the extra THREE DAYS I’ll get to be ready for the chaos to come, and it will help all my new & current reviewers to know that I work half days on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I hope you ENJOY Michael and Maria’s date and *crosses fingers* Michael and Mercedes’ first meeting!

Love you all,
Katie

Song/Lyrics/Artist: You Had me from Hello by Kenny Chesney

Chapter Five

Three Days Later

Maria let out a shaky breath as she looked up at Isabel and Tess taking turns trying different styles on her long blonde hair. Liz sat on the bed feeding Annie and Charlotte sat next to her niece, admiring both baby and nervous woman. “Michael is a very lucky man. Yes, indeed,” Charlotte spoke up, giving Maria a smile to ease her fears.

“I don’t know. I think we’re all lucky to have Michael playing a significant role in each of our lives,” Maria replied. She stopped when Tess did a hairstyle that she liked the best. Tess nodded and waved a hand over Maria’s hair to add bright red roses to accentuate the black color of the dress. Maria stood on shaky legs and turned around for proper inspection.

“Wow. Michael isn’t going to know what to do with himself once he sees you,” Liz said with a grin as she shifted Annie to begin burping her.

Isabel plopped down next to her sister in law when Charlotte got up to go retrieve something from her bedroom. She finally returned a few moments later with two differently shaped jewelry boxes, opening them towards Maria. Maria gasped when she saw the dangle earrings encrusted with diamonds, as well as a matching bracelet and necklace. She looked up at Charlotte, opening her mouth to refuse but the brunette psychic only shook her head to quiet her. “No. Jim still thinks of you as a daughter and I…I suppose that I do too. So, please wear the jewelry, Maria; you’ll look stunning in them.”

Reaching out, Maria pulled Charlotte to her in a fierce hug. “Thank you, Charlotte,” she said softly. Charlotte nodded in response before pulling back to help Maria put the jewelry on.

Once Maria was satisfied with the outcome of her “date-worthy” look, she turned to get her friends’ inspection again. While doing that, Liz’s aunt adjusted the dress Maria wore. Maria paused when she realized everyone was staring not at her but at Charlotte, who had frozen up while fixing the dress. All four of the women knew she was having one of her “visions”. Maria reached over and gently poked Charlotte on the shoulder and this knocked the brunette out of her daze. She suddenly leaned over and whispered in Maria’s ear, “Remember to use protection later…”

Maria was confused at first but eventually realized that the vision Charlotte had gotten was about her and Michael after their “date”. “I’ll be sure to pass along the message to Space Boy,” she responded to Charlotte, who nodded and stepped away from Maria to let her pass by. But Maria doubted that she & Michael would get that far.
Given his and Maria’s dating history, Michael had no idea why he was suddenly so nervous about “courting” her. Alex, Kyle and Jim sat on the sectional couch watching him pace back and forth in front of them, occasionally chewing on a fingernail. Finally he stopped pacing when Maria’s smiling face came into his view. He’d mentioned to her that she should wear a dress that would take his breath away but it rendered him speechless instead as soon as he saw her. It wasn’t until Kyle had whistled low in his throat that Michael snapped out of his daze. He scratched his head as he reached out his other hand to his ex-wife. “Wow. You, uh…you look amazing, Blondie.”

She knew she did, but once he said it out loud, it put her on cloud nine. Maria nodded and stepped even closer, her free hand coming up to caress his cheek. “Thank you, Space Boy,” she said in a soft murmur. She looked up into his eyes and could see how badly he wanted to kiss her but she stepped away before he could.

On their way out the door, everyone yelled out, “Have fun!” and after Michael shut the door, he gestured to the sidewalk in front of Jim and Charlotte’s house. Maria gasped when she saw the pristine white stretch limousine parked there. Her ex-husband had gone all out for her sake and she couldn’t understand why she’d ever let him slip through her fingers. “Are you ready for our first date, Space Girl?” he asked next to her ear and she nodded, accepting the hand he offered. They walked to the limo hand in hand and he opened the back door for her so she could slide inside.

Just like a true gentleman, she thought to herself as she watched him climb in after and slammed the door gently shut behind him. The limo pulled away from the sidewalk and Maria turned to look at Michael, grabbing for his hand. “So where are you taking me for dinner? And please don’t say that we’re going to that awful Mexican restaurant we went to for our double date with Max & Liz back in high school. That was horrible!” she exclaimed the last part.

He chuckled. “No. I wouldn’t do that to my favorite girl again. Actually, I had some help from Jim and Kyle. They recommended this new Italian restaurant in Santa Fe, and I know how much you love Italian. I also arranged for a few other things but those will be a surprise until after we get to the restaurant,” he replied.

Maria squealed softly and hugged him around the neck. As she was edging away, Michael was edging closer but she brought her hand up before he could dip his head to capture her mouth. “No. You’ll only mess up my makeup and I can’t have Isabel and Tess mad at me later,” she whispered. He was disappointed – that much she could tell – as he backed away from her and straightened the lapels of his suit jacket, which she hadn’t noticed until now.
They made it to the restaurant in time to make their reservation and the silence built up two separate walls until Michael couldn’t take it anymore. Maria jumped slightly when he slammed his fork down onto the table as well as his napkin before quickly standing and rounding it, holding his hand to her. “Dance with me,” he said. It wasn’t a question but more of a demand.

She quickly accepted and he pulled her close to him. The band began playing a soft ballad and Maria couldn’t help but notice it reminded her of their relationship.

One word, that’s all you said
Something in your voice called me, turned my head
Your smile just captured me
You were in my future as far as I could see
And I don’t know how it happens, but it happens still
You asked me if I love you, if I always will

Chorus
Well you had me from hello
I felt love start to grow
The moment I looked into your eyes you won me
It was over from the start you completely stole my heart
And now you won’t let go
I never even had a chance you know
You had me from hello

Inside I built a wall
So high around my heart, I thought I’d never fall
One touch, you brought it down
The bricks of my defenses scattered on the ground
And I swore to me I wasn’t going to love again
The last time was the last time I’d let someone in

Chorus
But you had me from hello
I felt love start to grow
The moment I looked into your eyes you won me
It was over from the start you completely stole my heart
And now you won’t let go
I never even had a chance you know
You had me from hello

That’s all you said
Something in your voice calls me, turns my head
You had me from hello
You had me from hello
Girl, I’ve loved you from hello

By the time the song came to an end, Maria had forgotten all about messing up her makeup and pulled Michael down to kiss him. He returned the kiss for a few minutes before breathing became an absolute necessity. “Let’s order that dessert you promised me, Space Boy,” she suggested in a soft murmur.

Michael agreed with a brief, silent nod and led her back to their private table. After she sat back down and he did the same, she couldn’t help but look at him from where she sat in complete bliss. “What are you thinking about, baby?” he asked her quietly. She only shrugged before watching as he raised his hand for the waiter, who walked over to their table and Michael whispered something in his ear.

The waiter nodded & left and Maria’s curiosity suddenly flew up through the roof. “What did you ask him, Michael?” she asked softly but before he could answer her, their waiter returned with the item Michael had obviously requested, covered secretly for Maria’s sake. He set it down in front of Michael and left them alone once more. Michael reached across the table for her hand and drew her around to sit on his lap. He picked up his fork and napkin and used the napkin to clean the fork off. Once the fork was thoroughly clean, Michael kept his arms securely wrapped around her waist while he flawlessly lifted the lid keeping her from seeing what the dessert dish was. It was a piece of vanilla cheesecake drizzled with warm chocolate.

He speared his fork into the cheesecake slice before bringing the bite up to Maria’s lips. She leaned in and opened her lips, allowing him to slip the fork inside before drawing it out once she started chewing.
Demanding and intense. That was the two best words to describe their make-out in the limo on the way home. She had found a place in his lap as his arms banded around her. At first, his hands had settled on her inviting thighs, the heat rising from her tanned, supple skin; then they roamed to her bare backside and she’d both felt and heard the vibration of his groan when Michael made the discovery. His chocolate-and-Tabasco-steak-sauce flavored tongue had swept every corner of her mouth before he finally broke the kiss and began nipping softly across her cheek and down her jaw until he began to lick, nip and suck the skin of her gorgeous neck – knowing all too well he was leaving a mark.

But she wasn’t complaining. In fact, she wanted her friends – and the rest of the world too – to know that she belonged to Michael Abraham Guerin…that she was his one & only. By the time the limo had pulled up to Maria’s childhood home, they had straightened themselves until they looked presentable and he’d even used his powers to make her face and hair more suitable for when they went upstairs to check on M.J. and Mercedes. Sean and Max had put aside their differences over Liz a long time ago and when Michael & Maria came in the living room to find Liz curled up with her husband & newborn daughter, she smiled at the sight, nudging Michael in a silent manner, grinning up at him. “Yeah, real cute,” he mouthed to her.

She stifled a giggle before moving closer, grabbing Annie without waking her or her parents and placing her gently in the bassinet before grabbing the afghan from the back of the couch and covering the slumbering couple with it. She walked over and grabbed the second afghan and unfolded it, using it to cover her cousin. Then Maria bent down and slipped out of her heels, carrying them with one hand while the other one clasped Michael’s when she tiptoed forward to accept the one he offered to her so they could head upstairs to check on their children.

Back in the living room, Max opened his eyes long enough to let his mouth lift in a crooked, sleepy smile at the sight of Michael & Maria holding hands as they went upstairs, completely oblivious to anything else. He shifted again before closing his eyes again and falling back into a deep, peaceful slumber.

Michael followed Maria into their son’s room and watched from the doorway as she moved over to the bed and pulled the covers up over M.J.’s legs. He couldn’t help but smile at how much Maria had given up to make sure their children were raised to be good and stable for both home and school. She looked over and caught him smiling but he didn’t bother to stop once she did until she had finished with M.J. and joined him in the doorway. “What’s the grin for, Space Boy?” she asked in a whisper.

He could feel her breath warming the skin on his face but he put aside his body’s demands long enough to shake his head, still grinning. “Its nothing worth talking about now,” he whispered back to her. Reaching down between them, he slid his hand into her hold once more and nodded his head to the room behind her. “Lead the way to our Princess’ room…” She nodded and led him toward Mercedes’ room.

Her free hand reached down and gently & quietly turned the knob, letting the moonlight guide her and Michael into the dark room. She left the door open a crack and tiptoed over to the bed, pulling Michael with her. She knew he would be upset with waking Mercedes up but he could chew her ass out later on. Maria gathered their daughter into her arms and began to softly stroke her hair until she felt the sleep leaving Mercedes’ small body. The little girl’s eyes opened and she looked up at Maria. “Momma? Why are you dressed like a princess?” she asked her voice groggy from sleep.

“Because Momma went out to a ball,” Maria replied in a soft murmur, her hands holding her daughter’s cheeks. “But she brought the prince home with her.” Mercedes’ eyes widened at this and she let her gaze wander over to where Michael sat with his arm around Maria. “Mercedes, I would like you to meet Momma’s Prince Charming. He’s your Daddy.”

Reaching over, Michael let one hand roam over his daughter’s hair. “Hi Princess. I hear you’ve been asking about me,” he said softly. He smiled when she began to nod in response and he gently eased her from Maria’s arms and took her into his. He was surprised when she immediately latched onto his neck. Maria stood up from the bed and gestured for Michael to bring Mercedes with him. He was confused at first.

“She’ll probably sleep with us. Once she gets attached to you like that, it’s kind of hard to detach her,” she told him with a grin. He nodded and stood up with Mercedes still in his arms, following Maria out of the dark room and down the hall to the master bedroom. Maria finally detached their daughter from her father’s arms and settled her on the queen-size mattress so she & Michael could undress. Maria disappeared into the closet and soon returned with a men’s T-shirt & a pair of sweatpants. “You can dress in the bathroom if you want to.” He nodded and leaned down to brush her lips with a quick, soft peck before brushing past her and heading into the bathroom to change out of his “date” outfit.

That simple caress had left her standing rooted to the spot like a complete idiot before she snapped out of her daze, moving over to the dresser and opening the top drawer, picking out the shirt she wanted. It was one of his Metallica T-shirts, but after he left, she couldn’t bear the thought of parting with it, so she used it for a night shirt every now and then. Tonight seemed like the appropriate night to wear the maroon material…

begonia9508 Don’t worry, I am planning it out as I write it all. I think a mixture of each couple for the upcoming chapter should work just fine. And yes, I don’t think they will have had to worry about the vision coming true!

Grace52373 I am glad that you liked the reunions! Those were practically the hardest to write out of everything, but my favorite line was “But I brought home the prince”.

keepsmiling7 Thanks, Carolyn. I think if I didn’t get MY happy ending, I’d want my “girls” to get one when I write my fan fictions.

Author’s Note: So I’m debating on who Sean should be paired with for the duration of this fan fiction, and I’d like your opinion on it when you review this chapter. Your opinions put v in the word value, they mean a lot!

If it’s a canon character, it will be between Ava, Courtney and Laurie Dupree. If it’s an original character, any name will work and I’d like them to have some kind of witchy or alien-like power, so list them/it with the name you provide.

Thanks, love you all!
Katie

Chapter Six

DeLuca House – Next Morning

Liz woke to the gentle tap, tap, tap of someone attempting to rouse her from the deep, peaceful slumber she was in. The taps were soon followed by a soft, sweet giggle and she grinned when she realized it was only Mercedes. She opened one eye and chuckled when Mercedes jumped back in fear. “Mercedes…what did your mom say about trying to wake people up?” she asked groggily as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes then sat up to stretch.

“Momma asked me to wake you. We’re having mouse ears pancakes,” Mercedes chirped before turning and heading out of the living room, obviously heading towards the kitchen. Liz soon followed her goddaughter and found her husband holding Annie & talking to Sean about sports, it sounded like, while Tristan and M.J. joined in every now & again. Mercedes was on a stool next to Michael and Maria was getting out plates and silverware. A cell phone began to ring and all conversation stopped before Sean hopped up, grabbing his phone from the bar above the sink and rushing from the room. Everyone, Liz included, could hear snippets of his side of the conversation but turned back to whatever they’d been doing when Sean turned around.

Liz eased into the chair across from her husband and he gave her a smile before leaning over and kissing her gently & softly. “EW! Mom and Dad are kissing!” Tristan exclaimed from his spot behind his father. Liz eased back away from Max and glanced over at her son, a gleam in her eyes.

“And just what is wrong with kissing, Tristan? Huh?” she asked. Mercedes began to giggle and that had everyone soon laughing, including Tristan.

Breakfast turned into a lively affair, with everyone talking and laughing at once. Afterward, Max, Liz, Tristan and Annie went home. Tristan took Annie into the house like the doting big brother he was turning out to be and Max turned to look at Liz. “So…I was thinking of asking Jim & Charlotte to watch the kids so you and I could take advantage of the new hot tub. What do you think, Mrs. Evans?” he asked softly. One hand cupped her cheek while the other stroked along her tanned arm beneath the printed T-shirt she wore.

“How soon can you get the kids ready while I text them and ask?” she said with a grin. After she found out she was going to give him another baby, they’d decided together that Max would add a poolhouse but he didn’t make it that far after a few – well, more than that – complaints about violations of the neighborhood from the neighbors themselves. Liz had eventually changed ALL of their minds that having a pool wouldn’t be so bad.

Max grinned back leaning in to kiss her quickly before pulling back. “Be right back, okay?” he said softly and she nodded, watching as he ran into the house and disappeared from her sight. While he got Tristan & Annie ready, she began to write out a text message to her favorite aunt. Hey, can you and Jim take the kids for a few hours?

At the Valenti house, Charlotte had been struggling to French braid her daughter’s hair when her cell phone beeped, alerting her that she had a new text message. “Go see what Daddy is up to,” she told Carrie, who nodded and scampered off. Wiping her sweaty palms on her skintight jeans, Charlotte scooted until she could snatch up her phone, smiling when she saw that the text message was from Liz. Sure. Let me go ask Jimmy real quick, she wrote back and pressed SEND. She then got up from the couch and went in search of her husband, knowing she would most likely find him in his shop. And she was right. She couldn’t help but “check” him out as he talked to and laughed with their preteen daughter. But she snapped out of her daze once she realized what she was there for. Taking one step forward, she let herself move into her private domain. “Jim?” she yelled to be heard over the table saw.

Jim looked up when he heard her yell his name. Reaching out, he shut the saw off and cursed when his finger caught on the blade as he lifted it. “Daddy, you said a bad word!” Carrie exclaimed in a shocked voice and he turned to look at her even as his wife stepped in to take a look at his injury.

“Carrie, why don’t you go and find something to do? I need to talk to your mother in private,” Jim said without taking his eyes away from his wife. Neither of them even took notice of the pout on their daughter’s face but they were jolted back to the present at the slamming door. “Did you need something, Charlie?” His voice was soft as he turned his attention to putting a bandage on his injured hand.

“Yes. Liz sent me a text message and asked me if we could watch Tristan and Annie for a few hours,” she replied quietly. She had no idea if he would blow up at her again but she could feel their marriage slipping through their fingers and they knew it was only a matter of time.

“That sounds great. I know you’ve been looking forward to holding Annie, so tell her yes,” he responded, looking over in time to see her holding back the tears. He moved towards her but Charlotte turned and fled the shop before he could get close enough to touch her. “Damn it!”

Outside, Charlotte wiped at her eyes. She calmed down enough to push off of the wall she’d been leaning against and headed back towards the house. Once safely tucked inside, she pulled her cell phone out and sent a quick text message back to her niece: He said okay. I’ll keep a lookout for the van. She pressed SEND but didn’t wait for a response as she turned the volume onto silent. She finally headed into the living room to sit down on the sofa in front of the big picture window. She didn’t notice when her husband had followed her and sat down close behind her, his arms the instant comfort she didn’t realize she’d been seeking.

“I wish there was something I could do or say to get you to forgive me for what I did,” he murmured softly into her hair.

As Max pulled the van to a stop in front of the house a few minutes later, he could see an argument was about to start and he wasn’t going to take any chances. Turning to look at Tristan, he gave his dark-haired son a soft smile. “Sit tight, bud. I’ll be back in a jiffy and we’ll go see your Aunt Isabel, okay?” he said in his usual quiet, reserved voice and waited for Tristan to nod before nodding himself and climbing out of the van. He headed for the house but stopped halfway there when he spotted Carrie standing at the edge of the house and he headed in that direction instead. “Hey, Carrie, do you want to go see Kyle?”

She had tears leaking out the corners of her hazel eyes as she looked up at him and nodded her head ‘yes’. “They’re fighting again,” she whispered. Max nodded as well; he’d seen the signs in several other couples he and Liz had gotten to know over the years of being on the run. “Daddy did something to upset Momma months ago but they always send me off to play or something so I can’t eavesdrop.”

Max nodded again. “It will be okay, Carrie; don’t you worry,” he told her as he put an arm around her shoulders and guided her to the van. “I’ll be right back so why don’t you climb in?” She nodded and climbed into the front passenger seat and buckled herself in. Max once again headed towards the house to talk to the arguing couple.
Inside, Jim ducked when Charlotte let go of the vase he’d gotten her for their 5th anniversary and it flew into the wall behind Jim, shattering into lots of electric blue bits. When the knock came, the former sheriff was grateful. He stepped to an obviously still furious Charlotte in two strides, locking his arms around her as she struggled to get free, remembering to dodge each and every tactic she used to get away. She was still struggling to get free when he opened the door with one hand and he gave Max a smile after seeing Carrie in the passenger seat of the Evans’ van. “Thank you, Max, for taking her to see her brother. I obviously have more…important things to deal with at the moment,” he said, indicating his wife with his eyes.

“It’s perfectly fine, Jim. Have fun and good luck!” Max said with a grin at the couple before heading back out to the van to climb into the driver’s seat and start the car normally before backing out of the driveway. He drove away waving and Jim waved back before reaching out and slamming the door shut with the same hand from before.
Kyle let out a soft moan at the warm, tingling sensations he got the moment his gorgeous wife’s magical fingers beginning to work the tension out of his sore shoulders. “Did Deputy Shaw give you a hard time yesterday about us sneaking in a quickie at our lunch break?” she murmured softly as she leaned over him.

His voice was slightly muffled by the pillow that lay underneath his head as he answered her. “Uh-huh. But it’s not like I haven’t caught him doing the same thing with your student aide when she gets her own lunch break,” he remarked to her.

“I knew it!” she exclaimed in a triumphant ‘aha’ tone, jolting him slightly as she shifted downwards to work on his middle and lower back. “She always had this…look in her eyes but I could never quite figure out what it was. But…lucky her! There is definitely hope still left in the world for her to actually find someone instead of shamelessly and endlessly finding ways to flirt with someone unattached, like Michael or Jesse’s brother Jose.”

“Does anyone know what his story is or why he stuck around Roswell when Isabel buried Jesse almost a year ago?” Kyle asked as he turned over and gathered a protesting Tess into his arms, holding her tightly to him. His hands drew circles over her back that was clothed in the jersey she stole from him years ago, and he pressed a soft, gentle kiss to her forehead while she snuggled close to him.

“No. Isabel is attempting to get into his dreams but says he’s blocking her out although she hasn’t figured out why yet,” she responded in a soft murmur. They both sat up at the sound of the insistent ringing of the doorbell. “I know that one. Max must think it’s important.” Tess scrambled out of bed and grabbed the gray cotton sweatpants she’d discarded earlier to give Kyle a massage, pulling them on and tying them over her 5 months pregnant belly.

Kyle followed suit, pulling on a T-shirt and grabbing his jeans from the bedpost. He remembered to check to see that they were turned the right way before following Tess out into the living room so they could see what Max wanted. “Oh, great,” he muttered to himself upon reading Max’s thoughts. Tess turned to glare at him and he gave her the short version: “They’re fighting…again.”

She sighed and shook her head. “I seriously thought they would have moved past all of that,” she said exasperatedly. Kyle only chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“They’ll just want to make up. Michael & Maria have already done that; they’re starting out slow in case everything goes wrong like it did before,” he reminded her and she nodded, her slender hand caressing his arm as it wrapped around her neck just below her throat.

“I know. They have been through a lot though,” Tess said softly. Kyle nodded again before reaching out to open the door to reveal Carrie with Max standing behind her, his big hands almost dwarfing her small shoulders. “Hi Max, hi Carrie!”

“Hi Tess!” Carrie returned with an enthusiastic grin at her sister in law. She and Tess headed inside and left former enemies Kyle & Max alone.

“So, are you okay with watching Tristan and Annie as well?” Max asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the current sheriff’s answer.

“If Dad and Charlotte were supposed to watch them, then sure, we’ll watch them for you,” Kyle responded quickly. Max nodded and the two men headed out to the van so Kyle could help the taller man with unloading Annie and grabbing all her necessities she would need.

“Thanks for doing this, Kyle. I really do appreciate it,” Max said after everything was in the house. Kyle nodded and they hugged before Max finally left.
Liz giggled as Max pulled her into his lap. She held firm to her glass of wine as she wound her arms around the width of his muscled shoulders, and offered him a sip of wine. He shook his head no firmly. “We better not, Liz,” he said softly and she was surprised that he was turning down one small, harmless sip of wine and was about to tell him as much when he cut her off by kissing her.

But what started out a soft and tender caress turned into one full of absolutely no innocence, completely carnal, as hands sought out skin and to bring the other closer. Liz had a one-track mind now; all she wanted was to feel all of her handsome husband so as he began to work his lips away from hers and across her cheek, down to her neck, she let her hands maneuver down between them until she was caressing him, grinning when he let out a low growl against her bare shoulder. “Am I killing you yet, dear husband?” she whispered and he nodded, gritting his teeth as she continued to stroke him through his swim trunks.

Finally she stopped and he took the opportunity to lean up and whisper in her ear, “I don’t think we should wait any longer, do you?” Liz shook her head no and they both climbed out of the hot tub and she headed quickly for the warmth of the house, not bothering with a towel since she knew Max would keep her warm. She did, however, leave a trail of her swim attire for him and climbed underneath the sheets of their queen-size bed, smiling when he finally joined her. “You cheated, Mrs. Evans, and that deserves a special punishment.”

She squealed and burrowed underneath the covers to get away from him but he trapped her thrashing body within the covers before he finally joined her, pulling the covers over them and shutting out the world. Every moan, pant, groan and grunt that soon sounded throughout the house only intensified their passion for each other. They cuddled afterward before finally drifting off into a deep, peaceful, worry-free slumber.

Author’s Note #2: I also wanted to see how many of you can see a possibility of a reunion between Jim & Amy. I won’t give away any spoilers, but I can see Charlotte forgiving Jim for kissing Amy several years back. Now if I did reunite J & A, how would/should I do it? Have him whisk her away right before she says ‘I do’ to Jacque? Or do you think I should do something different? Your votes, PMs and opinions matter! Also, my next update will be sometime next week. I will be writing it but it won’t be posted for a few days, as I dislike my sister’s computer at her house.

begonia9508 That’s okay, Eve. Everyone has their opinion on them and thanks for your vote. I’ll get back to J & C once I’m done going “back in time” for all those that want to see what the pod squad has been up to. And I don’t know; do you want them to? I think it would be nice to see Tess make it through her pregnancy before I give anyone else any more kids.

Grace52373 They actually have two children but Jeremiah (their son) wasn’t mentioned, since he was at a friend’s house for a sleepover. Your vote means a lot; thank you for voting no!

keepsmiling7 Aha, yeah, that might work. I can work my wonders on making Courtney a good witch. And it wouldn’t only affect Carrie; their son would be hurt and want to run away.

Author’s Note: As promised, we’re taking a trip back in time. It will begin in January 2012, when Isabel receives a visit from the past…Jesse’s brother Jose delivers his brother’s final will and testament in person and she takes her own trip down memory lane as she remembers her secret moments with Jesse away from the group. Without giving too much away, I’ll just let you enjoy the chapter!!

Thanks, love you all!
Katie

Chapter Seven

January 2012 – Baltimore, Maryland

Isabel was thoroughly enjoying herself. It felt refreshing to be her own boss and to be in control for once. But today was about to change for her. She was typing furiously away when her intercom buzzed. “Yes, Hillary?” she said without picking up her phone.

“There’s a Mr. Jose Ramirez here to see you. He says it’s…” her secretary said before she stopped herself. Isabel glanced up when the door to her office slammed none too gently against the wall. “important that he speaks to you.”

“Its fine, Hillary. Hold all my calls please,” she told the brunette, who nodded and closed the door on her way out. Isabel turned to the Hispanic man and gestured for him to have a seat on the sofa, smoothing down her skirt as she sat down a few feet away. “What brings you by, Jose? I know it can’t be about Jesse, so what is it that sends you my way?”

“It’s actually about Jesse’s will, Miss Evans,” he replied shortly before pulling out a folded legal document from the obviously expensive jacket he wore and held it out for her to accept. She did rather unusually quickly and opened it with hands trembling and began reading: “I, Jesse…” She skipped down ton the more important paragraph, only to be shocked at what it said. “…my estate and all its possessions will go to my former wife, Isabel Miranda Evans Ramirez, should she choose to accept them. I give my daughters, Dianna Evangeline Ramirez and Jessica Selena Ramirez, a trust fund that will be monitored by their mother. In each account is $350,000 and is not to be touched until they each turn 21…” Isabel looked up at her former brother in law in surprise.

“Are you sure this is accurate?” she asked quietly and he nodded in response. He’d talked to the lawyer handling Jesse’s case personally before finding out where his former sister in law lived and worked. But as Jose was about to explain that to Isabel, he sent a quick glance at the blonde his brother loved more than life itself, finding she had her eyes closed but when he leaned over to poke her, she jolted up and glared at him. “I think you should go now. Have a nice day, Mr. Ramirez.”

“And you as well, Miss Evans,” he growled before leaving her office. She waited until she knew for sure that he was gone before drifting over to the bookcase and picked up the framed photo of her and Jesse at their wedding. She brought her hand up and caressed his smiling face before walking back over to the sofa and curling up with the frame still in her hands. Isabel cared not to notice the tears that were soon falling as she let herself drift back in time:

June 2003 – Baltimore

He was here, and closing in on her every move. She knew it was only a matter of time before he discovered they were living in the same city, coming close to having the same circle of friends. But whenever she got together with her friends and he happened to show up, Carson or Whitney always helped sneak her out so she wouldn’t have to see him again face to face. Of course, Isabel Evans Ramirez was starting to enjoy this elusive game of cat and mouse but knew it was starting to get old and wearing her out. She finally decided to put an end to avoiding the one man who allowed her to be herself after Alex’s death and asked Whitney to set up a date. Her redhead classmate had been surprised but came through in the end. So, here she sat, waiting for her date to eventually and hopefully show up. “So I knew it had to be too good to be true,” a soft, husky voice said, sending small shivers down her spine.

She glanced up finally after a few minutes and smiled at him, gesturing for him to have a seat. He eased down across from her, giving her a soft smile in return. “And why do you say that? Was it because I avoided you every chance I got?” she asked quietly but didn’t expect him to lean over and kiss her softly and gently. When it seemed like he was going to pull away, Isabel brought her hands up and framed his face between them, pulling him closer until no space separated them at all, like they had never been apart at all.

“I never noticed that you had been avoiding me,” he told her later as they lay in each other’s arms in his hotel room.

January 2012 – Baltimore

Isabel took the will home with her later after getting off of work and when she got safely tucked into her three-bedroom apartment, Isabel went to check on her girls in the other room with the baby-sitter. Even though Dianna was at an age where she begged her mother to stay at home more, Isabel had to explain repeatedly that it didn’t actually work that way. The baby-sitter, who had been recommended by Whitney & Zane, glanced up and smiled at Isabel. “Hi, Miss Evans! The girls were good today,” she said enthusiastically and Isabel nodded.

“I knew they would be,” she returned the quiet enthusiasm as she followed the college student out the play room/nursery and into the front room, where Isabel paid her the usual amount of money before the younger woman left Isabel alone with her two favorite people besides Max & Michael & everyone else. She went back and watched Dianna talk to her baby sister, happy that the life she’d had with Jesse had given her two of the greatest blessings she could ever ask for other than Jesse, of course. She remembered the day two officers had delivered the news to her when she was 6 months pregnant with Jessica:

June 2011 – Boston

Her back had begun to hurt by the time she got up to answer the insistent knocking on the front door. She’d thought Jesse would have been home by then but found that it wasn’t him when she opened the door. “Yes, how can I help you?” she asked the two police officers on the front stoop.

“Are you Isabel Evans Ramirez?” the officer on the left asked her. She began to nod as she took in his handsome features. He was tall with dark hair, brown eyes – more hazel-green – and he was muscled in all the right areas. His partner on the other hand was blonde with almost-dark blue eyes and kind of on the skinny side.

“Yes, that’s me. What is this about, Officer Banks?” Isabel asked, trying to calm herself down for the baby’s sake.

“There was an accident right outside of town, Mrs. Ramirez, and your ex-husband was killed,” he said quietly and she held back the sobs, knowing there would be more to the “accident”. “We also noticed a bomb just below the front bumper of the car. Can you think of anyone who might want to kill your ex-husband, Mrs. Ramirez?”

“It’s Miss Evans, and no, Jesse never had enemies, not in his line of work. He’s an attorney and a damn good one!” she yelled and released the door, allowing it to slam in their faces.

January 2012 – Baltimore

After eating a dinner consisting of macaroni and cheese, salad and vanilla ice cream for dessert, Isabel put her girls to bed without much fuss. She had just settled in to watch a movie with her ear-phones in when there was a soft knock on the front door. She thought it might have been her brother or Michael so she set aside her movie and got up to answer the door, gasping in surprise at who was in front of her. “Alex…no, you’re supposed to be dead,” she said in a whisper. Then she fainted dead away.

He reached out and caught her before she fell onto the floor and carried her inside, settling onto the couch with her still in his arms. “But I am very much alive, Isabel, and I will prove it to you…in time, my love,” he whispered after kissing her forehead softly then leaving her on the couch and exiting the same way he had come in. He knew she wouldn’t be able to understand how he’d survived the car accident but he didn’t quite understand it either:

Early Spring 2001 – Roswell

“Alex, I want you to listen to me,” the boy sitting across from him said. It was as if the computer genius had a twin but he really didn’t, if that made any sense. “Our plan is totally foolproof. Tess isn’t going to know the difference but you have to remember to stay away from the girls, okay? Liz, Maria and especially Isabel cannot know you are alive until its absolutely necessary and safe for you to come out of hiding. Do we have a deal?”

Alex nodded and let his hand come up to shake his look-alike’s hand before the other boy left Alex alone. “I can do this. I can do this. I can do this,” Alex repeated quietly to himself as he looked around his bedroom.

Author’s Note #2: Yes, I know some of you weren’t fans of Isabel & Jesse, but I started watching Roswell with Season 3, so I got hooked on them first! And if this chapter is too difficult to read or follow, I apologize; Isabel is a complex character and pretty hard to write. So my deepest apologies in advance; hopefully the chapters that will follow are a lot less complex than Isabel’s. Please enjoy this chapter!!

begonia9508 Thank goodness there is another fan of I & J out there! And I’m seriously considering towards putting Isabel with Jose Ramirez, Jesse’s brother, so let me know what you think about that!

Grace52373 I agree…for most of what you said. Jim was a great supporting character, I will give you that. But I’m leaving it up to y’all to decide whether or not I should have Stargazer together or put Isabel with her ex-husband’s brother.

keepsmiling7 Colin Hanks was a good actor and great for Roswell until he left. Tom (his dad) is fantastic in everything he does, but my favorite movie with Tom had to be “A League of their Own”.

Tiffyjenn Thanks for casting your vote and welcome to the land of reading & reviewing! I love my Candies too, that’s why I’m sticking by this until the end.

Author’s Note: So I got completely stuck on which couple to write for this chapter and finally decided to allow everyone that has reviewed so far to choose for me. I’ve got a Sean/Courtney plot planned out in my head but can’t seem to put pen to paper…so to speak! In case I don’t get to putting up my fan fiction for Jim & Charlotte, I want you to know that I did some careful research before creating Charlotte. I did base her after Phoebe from Charmed but gave her a few twists; she ends up with a human instead of being with a demon or a cupid.

Chapter Eight, Part 1

January 2004 – New Jersey

Maria squealed with laughter as Michael carried her over the threshold of their new house, twirling her around and making her dizzy. She held on tight before he finally set her down and they tumbled in slow motion onto the floor, still gasping for breath between laughter before Michael began to lower his head to capture her mouth with his own. Within minutes, clothes had been strewn around the room as Michael hovered over her nude body, his hands stroking up her sides to tenderly cup her supple, aching breasts, his thumbs rubbing the nipples and hardening them into diamond-hard points. This makes her gasp and moan, her labored breaths bringing their chests into brief contact and he leaned down & claimed her mouth again. “I love you so much, Maria Gillian,” he whispered and she nodded in response before bringing his head back down to connect their mouths once more.

He reached down between them and stroked his fingers into her hot, dripping heat then cupped himself and let it stroke teasingly above her core before readying himself to slide gently into her. “Space Boy…” she said between continuous labored breaths and her nails dug crescents into his broad, muscled shoulders and upper back. He lifted one of her thighs to open her more and quickened his thrusts, driving himself deeper, his mouth claiming one of her breasts and she moaned loudly, probably disturbing their neighbors’ peace but neither of them could care less about it.

Afterwards, he pulled her onto the mattress they had on the living room floor and she curled up into him, her head settling onto his sweat-matted shoulder as if it belonged there or something. “Do you think it worked?” he asked softly as his hand stroked her hair while they began cooling down from their quick lovemaking. They had discussed trying to start a family a month ago and had agreed it would be safe enough to do that.

She tilted her head back so their eyes could meet and she nodded before giving him a proper answer. “Yes. I think it did,” Maria replied with a smile.

He nodded and grinned down at her before shifting to whisper in her ear, “If it doesn’t we can always keep trying over and over again.” She giggled then pushed him onto his back and straddled his lean, muscled hips. Michael took her silent hint & thrust gently up in to her, his hands spanning her curvy hips as he assisted her with the soft movements that quickened in rhythm. As soon as she began to rock back and forth, he took the time to let his hands slide slowly and gently up her sides until he had cupped her breasts. Then he sat up to let his mouth do the talking, lips closing around the diamond-hard point and she let out a long, low moan at the feel of his tongue suckling like a baby when it needed milk.

Present Day – Roswell

Maria opened one eye to the soft sound of her daughter’s feet on the hardwood floor and she brought one finger up to her lips before quietly lifting the bed covers so Mercedes could climb in with her. Once Mercedes was safely tucked under the covers, Maria pulled her close to cuddle. Behind Maria, she heard Michael turn onto his back but felt his hand reaching to clasp hers under the bed covers and she linked their fingers together, gently squeezing his hand. A little while later, Michael woke to find Maria and Mercedes gone but heard their soft chatter in the other room. His gaze stumbled upon the pair of flannel pants sitting on her side of the bed and he grinned then snatched them up, his legs swinging over the side of the bed. Keeping the sheet over his naked body, he put in one leg at a time before standing and pulling them up, cinching them at the waist. He walked over to the dresser and picked out a plain gray T-shirt, slipping it over his head before following the voices and soft giggles coming from Maria and their daughter, finding them working on some kind of project on the kitchen table. “And just what are my two favorite girls up to?” he asked with a grin as he leaned down to kiss the corner of Maria’s lips and Mercedes’ forehead.

“Hi Daddy, we’re making stuff to take to Grams’ wedding,” Mercedes replied excitedly. Michael nodded as he crossed the renovated kitchen – his former mother in law had expanded it before leaving it for Maria to live in with the kids – and plucked the coffee pot from its holder, nearly letting a string of curses fly at the almost-burning temperature of the pot he held in his hand but stopped when he realized Mercedes was still in the room.

Maria paused in her current task, glancing over at her former husband as he stood with his back still to her then leaned over to whisper in Mercedes’ ear. Once the 3 year old left her parents alone, Maria abandoned the project to let it dry and walked up to him to wrap her arms around his waist from behind. Her cheek settled onto his middle back and his hands gently caressed hers after he set aside his coffee mug while she spoke softly, her voice slightly muffled by the material of his shirt. “So I thought we could have a picnic after we make love then have dinner with Kyle & Tess and play cards with the kids later,” she told him.

“And will Kyle & Tess be watching our kids while we have our picnic? And what about picking up M.J. from school?” he asked her softly. He turned around until they were face to face, leaning down to quickly and softly peck her lips with a kiss.

She smiled up at him as his fingers laced together in an appropriate place just above her ass. “Yes, they will be. And Kyle will be at school at 2:55 on the dot to pick up the twins and our son when school gets out at 3:00,” she replied. She looked up at him and he wondered if she was going to blab on, finally getting his answer moments later. “Do you know what today is?”

“No. Should I, Blondie?” he said with a teasing smirk and grimaced in slight pain when she smacked his arm. “Oh, right, it is definitely an important day.”

August 2003 – Southern New Jersey State Line

After nearly sixteen months of being on the run, Michael finally crossed the Mustang into the southern-most tip of New Jersey. He cast a quick glance over at the woman sound asleep, snoring softly on his shoulder, next to him and he knew he was one of the luckiest son of a bitches alive. Without waking her, Michael shifted his arm’s heavy weight before wrapping his arm around her shifting shoulders, and allowing her head to settle more firmly into his neck. Michael grinned when he felt her sight contently and snuggle more into him, her fingers intertwining with his as he continued to drive north. A little while later, Michael spotted a hotel on the right side of the highway and gently but forcefully turned the wheel as he continued to hold onto his fiancé. It had taken watching Max and Liz’s own sudden plunge into matrimonial bliss to finally encourage Michael into taking the plunge himself. After parking the car, he gently eased Maria out from under him, gently letting her head loll the other way, grimacing as her head softly hit the window’s glass. “Ugh!” she groaned and turned her head to find Michael exiting the two-door vehicle. Moments later, he opened her door then plucked her out, not giving her a chance to protest before sweeping her into his strong arms. “Michael, put me down! I can walk, you know.”

“And allow myself to miss the opportunity to carry my bride to be over the threshold? I couldn’t pass that up,” he replied with a grin.

She giggled, her slim hand reaching out to assist him in slamming the car door gently behind him, her hands wreathing around his neck to hold on for the ride towards the building that obviously held the lobby. “We’re not married yet, Michael, but I’m glad that you want to start practicing for after our honeymoon.”

Once they got into the lobby, Michael set her down but clasped her waist and snuggled into her as they walked over to the front desk. The hotel clerk glanced up from watching some kind of daytime program and immediately snapped to attention, standing up with her fingers poised to start typing. “Would you like a room or a suite?” she asked in a quiet voice as she waited for one of them to answer the question.

Michael was about to retort back to her in question form but Maria immediately clamped her hand over his mouth after turning slightly in his arms. She gazes back at the desk clerk, giving her a soft, sweet smile. “What do your suites look like?” she asked in the same quiet voice as the girl.

The girl returned her smile and grabbed for something beside the computer, slapping it gently onto the desk in front of Maria, opening it for her to take a look. “All the ones with the black dots are a little pricy and the ones with the red dots are with in budget,” she explained as she let her fingers tap the plastic-covered photographs, indicating the black dot stickers in one corner & the red dot stickers in another corner.

Maria browsed through the red dot pictures before stopping on a page and frantically tapping on the top photo. “That one! We’ll take that one,” she said in a quick excited voice.

Present Day – Roswell

Michael couldn’t hold back his smile as he looked over at the woman who could still change every emotion he had. He scratched his chin as he continued to smile. “Yes, I remember it well. You wouldn’t let me pick a plain room with two beds,” he said with a smirk.

“No, but I won’t forget spending our honeymoon there,” she responded with a soft squeal when he leaned over to tickle her sides.

December 2003 – New Jersey

Maria’s soft chiffon slim gown with beaded bodice draped over her new husband’s arm as he carried over the threshold of their beloved suite. They had exchanged vows just hours before with their friends witnessing it all:

Maria sucked in a breath as Liz zips up the dress Isabel helped pay for after finding out that Michael had asked Maria to marry him. Once Maria knew for sure Liz was done with the zipper, she watched her best friend pick up the U-shaped wreath of white lilies and began to pin it into place in Maria’s upswept hair. “I am so glad that you and Michael are getting married finally, Maria,” Liz said with a quiet enthusiasm as she finished helping Maria get ready to become Mrs. Michael Guerin.

Maria was extremely giddy about marrying Michael finally but had to admit she had some doubts about entering into a marriage so young. Liz glanced up and noticed the look in her best friend’s eyes. “What if our marriage blows up in our faces, Liz? What if he cheats on me? What if the FBI finds us and takes him away from me?” she asked her friend, plopping down onto the bed and not caring that she was wrinkling her new gown.

“It won’t happen, Maria. Any of it. And Michael loves you so much that he wouldn’t dare cheat on my bestie, and if he does, he will have to deal with not only me, but Isabel and Kyle too. I’m also sure that Jim would be pretty angry too,” the brunette told her friend. She could understand her friend’s sudden fear; Liz had gone through the same thing during her own wedding to Max.

Maria laughed a little when Liz mentioned dealing with her, Isabel, Kyle and Jim if Michael decided to play the cheating card and she felt her fears finally easing away as she stood up once again to stand in front of the mirror. “I believe I’m ready, Lizzie. Can you go get Kyle for me?” she asked quietly. Liz nodded and left the room to go find the cop in training. Kyle had not hesitated when Maria asked him to be a good “brother” to her and give her away, agreeing like any true “brother” would.

Kyle knocked on the door a few minutes later and Maria remembered to pick up the ends of her gown before walking over to the door to open it. “Wow. Maria, you look amazing. You are gonna take Michael’s breath away,” he said with a brotherly smile.

She smiled back at him, stopping short of throwing her arms around his neck. “Thank you for doing this for me, Kyle. I just wish…” Kyle nodded and stepped forward to pull her into a gentle hug. He knew that she was missing everyone back home, including her mom and his dad. He missed his dad just as much as she did and also wished he could have been here to give Maria away.

Pulling back, Kyle framed Maria’s face in his hands to make her meet his eyes. “Dad would be very happy to know that I am going to fulfill his duties in giving you away. You and your mom were almost family, Ria. I still consider myself to be your brother and I am truly honored that you asked me to give you away,” he said before leaning in & up to caress her forehead in a brotherly fashion. “Now…why don’t we start heading down the hall and make you a bride? Because, when I left, your husband to be looked a little anxious to make you Mrs. Maria Guerin.”

Maria held her excitement in check once she heard about Michael’s anxiety about making her his wife legally was getting the better of him. “I think we can do that. And thank you again for helping everyone get her faster. You are really getting the hang of your teleportation powers but please don’t have another fainting spell until after we get through the wedding. We just want you to tone down the usage of your powers to use them more,” she admonished him in the only way a true “sister” would. He only rolled his eyes at her.

They had reached the closed doors of the chapel in New Jersey and Kyle leaned forward to knock twice on them. “Are you ready, Maria?” he asked softly.

She nodded, looping her hand into the small hole he’d made after crooking his arm. “I’m ready, Kyle,” she responded quietly. The doors to the chapel opened to reveal Michael, Max and the chaplain at the front of the pews. Her breath caught at the sight of Michael looking extremely handsome in his tux. Max looked good too but her eyes were definitely trained on Michael. She and Kyle began their trek down the medium-length aisle once Liz and Isabel took their places on the opposite of Max & Michael.


Liz had been right about one thing, Michael thought to himself as he watched her glide toward him on Kyle’s arm. She looked absolutely and amazingly breathtaking in that dress. Once she reached him, he waited until Kyle had brushed her cheek with an affectionate kiss before holding his hand out, palm up, for her to take. She slowly slid her own hand into his, palm facing down, and they faced the male chaplain for him to begin the ceremony. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the exchanging of vows and rings between Michael Abraham Guerin and Maria Gillian DeLuca. If there are no objections from the wedding party, we shall continue.” When no one spoke up, he cleared his throat and trudged on.

Author’s Note 2: So I’ve been plotting the chapters after this one and decided with a heavy heart to end Sean & Courtney when their chapter comes. I don’t really want to but I just don’t see them working out in the long run. So throw as many tomatoes at me as you want; I am still not going to change my mind about breaking them up!

begonia9508 It wouldn’t be permanent. The Isabel/Jose thing, I mean. I haven’t really decided. I just might make her single and raising the girls by herself.

Grace52373 Alright, Grace! You’re very persuasive. I will let others decide before I make a final decision. And yes, Sean and Courtney; they were the first choice but I will probably go with Sean and Laurie. I believe they’d have better chemistry. And the Courtney I’m using won’t be the one that died in the series; you left a review and suggested I use Courtney for an original female character that was a witch, so she’s the one I’m referring to.

keepsmiling7 Thanks! I am trying to go for the romantic feel for their wedding and the family feel when they are spending time with his kids.

Disclaimer: The lyrics of the song at the beginning of this next chapter belong to their respected artist. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

Author’s Note: Y’all have been so wonderful with your thoughtful reviews that I thought about naming some characters after you. So you think long and hard about whether you want them to work with Maria, Tess or Isabel. I would also like to know what you all thought about the Candy wedding flashback. Was it sappy? Did I capture the romantic atmosphere of the vows correctly? I want to hear your thoughts! ENJOY part two!!

Chapter Eight, Part 2

Song: I Do (Cherish You)
Artist: 98 Degrees

December 2003 – continued

Michael could see the love he felt for Maria reflecting back at him in her eyes as they both tuned out the minister. From where he was standing, he could have sworn he was marrying an angel. The halo of white lilies looked pristinely white in her golden locks; the roses she carried were almost angelic. And the gown she wore made the tan of her face, neck and arms look even darker. Maria could feel his intense gaze on her but her attention stayed focused on the minister as she tried to listen to what he was saying. “…what God has brought together, let no man put asunder. Mr. Guerin and Ms. DeLuca have asked to recite their own vows, so I will ask them to get the rings to exchange,” he said. Both of them nodded and turned to Liz & Max to get the rings they planned to give to each other.

Michael’s breath caught at the sight of the ring Maria held in her hand. The intricate detail of the intertwined spirals around the side that he could see, and if he knew she had gone ring shopping with Max, because if he looked closer, he could see the tiny five-dotted V symbols and shields that were settled over the spirals in a continuous pattern. He leaned in and gestured to the ring in her closed fist. “Did you design that just for me?” he asked softly.

She nodded, her bright teeth worrying her lower lip. “Yes. Do you like it?” she asked in a soft, eager voice.

“Like it? It won’t ever leave my finger,” he vowed quietly to her – but only her. And Maria knew it wouldn’t. She gestured to her ring and Michael smiled. “It has an inscription on the inside.” ‘To my beautiful Maria…My past, my present, my future’ She read, wanting to weep at the beautiful words he’d written to her.

They both turned to look at the minister and nodded to him at the same time that he could continue. He cleared his throat and turned to Michael. “Would you take Maria’s hands in yours and begin to recite your vows?” Michael smiled and did as he was told. She noticed that he’d put the ring for her on his thumb on his right hand as he took her hands in his own.

He sighed then began to recite his vows. “I want to start by saying that I stand by the words you saw on your ring. I know our past was a little rocky, but it led us to a very stable present. And I hope we will have a very secure future. I also want to say that you are an angel, Maria. You’re my angel,” he said. She looked up at his face and choked back her own tears at the ones that were falling from his eyes. She started to say something but he shook his head to stop her and she immediately clamped up. “I’m okay. You want to know why? Because the woman in front of me is gonna be by my side and will continue to be there until we both leave this earth. I love you, Maria Gillian, and I don’t plan on ever stopping. So…with this ring, I thee wed.” He removed the ring, clutching it in his fist so it didn’t go flying and Maria dropped one hand from his so he could take her left one in both of his. She watched and nearly weeps as he finally slipped the ring onto her proper finger.

Maria jumped right into her own vows without any encouragement from the minister. “We may not have gotten along at first, but we eventually found common ground: our dearest and best friends. We put their safety and our love for them mostly above all else. You’re my inspiration, Michael. You light a fire to spark my creativity when I have none,” she said. Her breath hitched as she attempted to hold back the tears but the flood gates opened anyway, and Maria cried quietly. She turned when Liz’s hand held out a handkerchief and she accepted the token from her friend, bringing the material up to dab at her eyes. “Most of all, you send my heart into a soft, quick flutter whenever you walk into a room. And…and every time I hear a slow song on the radio, it reminds me of our relationship.” More tears fell from her eyes and she was helpless to stop them but she continued with reciting her vows once she got a hold of her emotions. “I’ll finish off by saying that you are a part of me. You’ve always had my heart but now you’ll get the rest of me too…soul, body and mind. With this ring, I thee wed.” She mimicked his earlier motions, and he smiled as the ring she’d been holding slid into its proper place on his right hand.

“By the power vested in me and the state of New Jersey, I now pronounce that you are husband and wife,” the minister said, finally bringing an end to the brief ceremony. “You may kiss your bride now, Mr. Guerin.”

Michael and Maria smiled briefly at each other before Michael leans in to caress her lips in a soft, gentle manner. He wrapped his arms around her but didn’t deepen the kiss because he wanted to save the best of the newfound marital bliss for later, when they were alone.


After Michael had set her down just inside the doorway to their hotel suite and closed the door behind them, Maria watched as her new husband walked over to the boom box CD player and switched it on. Maria wanted to weep at the all too appropriate song he’d pick. She smiled as he drifted back over to where she still stood and held his hand out to her, palm up – just like he’d done earlier at the chapel. “May I have this dance, Mrs. Guerin?” he asked softly.

She nodded in a quick, silent manner and placed her hand in his outstretched one, accepting his offer to dance. It seemed only appropriate that they should dance on their wedding night, and even more so that he would pick out one of her favorite boy bands’ songs for them to dance to:

All I am, all I’ll be
Everything in this world
All that I’ll ever need
Is in your eyes
Shining at me
When you smile I can feel
All my passion unfolding
Your hand brushes mine
And a thousand sensations
Seduce me, ‘cause I

Their eyes met at the last part but neither of them dared to make a move to start making love. It was as if they were holding out for a longer amount of time.

Chorus
I do cherish you
For the rest of my life
You don’t have to think twice
I will love you still
From the depths of my soul
It’s beyond my control
I’ve waited so long to say this to you
If you’re asking do I love you this much?
I do

“I love you, Michael Abraham Guerin,” she whispered. It had been uttered from her lips in a too soft manner but Michael had still heard it, and he could feel the passion tug free of the box he’d concealed it in inside him.

“Ditto,” he whispered back to her.

In my world before you
I lived outside my emotions
Didn’t know where I was going
‘Til that day I found you
How you opened my life
To a new paradise
In a world torn by change
Still with all of my heart
‘Til my dying day

Chorus
I do cherish you
For the rest of my life
You don’t have to think twice
I will love you still
From the depths of my soul
It’s beyond my control
I’ve waited so long to say this to you
If you’re asking do I love you this much?
I do

Neither of them noticed when the song’s final notes had faded into silence. Passion swept into the room and enfolded them in an embrace so tight that they couldn’t fight even if they wanted to. Michael turned Maria until her back was to his front. She bit her lip to contain the moan that was threatening to erupt from deep within her chest at the feel of his fingers softly caressing the back of her neck before his hands moved to the zipper of her gown. She sucked her breath in to accommodate him more fully. The soft rasp of the zipper as he lowered it was a soft torturous motion that had trapped her in a cage and refused to let her out of it. “Space Boy…” Her nickname for him was uttered from between her lips in a soft, raspy whisper, and he finally ended the torture for her when the zipper was finally lowered all the way.

“I know, Maria,” he whispered back. He stepped closer to her, his arms gently embracing from behind. The cool air began to brush over her entire body little by little as his skillful hands began removing her wedding gown. She was about to kick it away once it was on the floor but was surprised when Michael picked it up then watched as her husband carried it over to where the closet stood open. He hung it up before turning back around to find her gaze on him. The passion twinkled in his eyes as he let his gaze stay on hers, his legs keeping soft, even strides while his fingers unbuttoned the cuff links of his crisp black tuxedo jacket. “Do you know how beautiful you look right now?”

A crimson blush crept its way onto her cheeks, the tan of her face growing darker against her golden locks. “Am I as beautiful as you?” Her question was asked in a soft murmur, her breath hitching as he softly, slowly invaded her personal space. Their gazes met slowly and held while his hands came up to caress her bare shoulders and she leaned into him, nearly swaying.

But Michael only shook his head in slow motion. His breath was a warm, inviting whisper as he began to speak. “No. You are even more gorgeous, Maria. Right now, you remind me of a Greek goddess. A divine creature just waiting for her lover to return from a trip away,” he murmured softly in her ear. A small smile creased the very corner of Maria’s lips upon hearing the ways he saw her even as soft gasps continued to fall from her chest when his fingers caressed slowly down her bare, tanned arms, the straps of her white chemise sliding away under his whisper-soft touch. Maria heard the soft, strangled moan that came from his chest as she arched into him when his hands moved up her sides.

She let out a soft moan of her own when the pads of his rough, callused thumbs brushed the undersides of her breasts through the thin, see-through silk chemise she wore. “Michael, quit teasin’ me,” she said on a panting gasp. When he didn’t listen to her soft demand, she took matters into her own hands. Her hands moved up underneath the shoulders of his tuxedo jacket and pushed it off with a deliberately slow torture to entice him a little. He rolled his body a little to assist her in the removal then let his hands settle on her waist above the chemise while he watched her fingers quickly unbutton his crisp white shirt until she could part the material and reveal the strong muscles of his chest and abdomen.

Maria lifted her arms when she felt him begin to lift her chemise until it was over her head and tossed away. The upper halves of their bodies brushed briefly in contact as his hands continued to deliberately tease her and make her blood rush hurriedly to her lower regions. Her panties were probably soaked with all the waiting she’d had to do to get to this very moment but it wasn’t until his hands cupped her bare breasts that she realized she had never felt more complete than in this moment in his embrace. Another soft moan escaped her lips when he turned her in his arms, his hands wrapping around her waist as he walked them towards the queen-size mattress. After following her onto it, Michael claimed his new bride’s lips in a soft, gentle kiss, his tongue sweeping every corner of her mouth before he lifted his head to look down at her. “Hello, Mrs. Guerin,” he whispered.

She smiled up at him, her fingers caressing up along his arms then back down his chest before repeating the process. “Hello, Mr. Guerin,” she said softly, returning the sentiment.

Author’s Note 2: So I found out today that I would finally be able to go back to work after missing several weeks of it, starting tomorrow. Not to worry, my loyal readers…I will still keep up with updating both fan fictions!

begonia9508 Thanks! I did capture it correctly, I’m so proud!

Grace52373 I won’t do it if you don’t want me to. I have a string of names that I could use.

keepsmiling7 Thank you! I will get to that part eventually, I promise. It will have a BIG secret that Michael kept from his wife because he didn’t want her to know about it.

Author’s Note: So I decided to “cut” the love scene meant for Jim & Charlotte in the next chapter and just do some family fluff – and romantic too – for them.

Chapter Nine

Present Day – Valenti House

Charlotte squealed as Jim attempted to cover her nose with some of the bubbles from their bath, her legs kicking at the other end of the bathtub with bronze claw feet and sending some of the water splashing onto the tile floor of their bathroom. “Stop! Stop. I’ll say it,” she said, a smile gracing her face as she leans back into his bubble-covered shoulder. “James Valenti Jr. is the greatest carpenter in all of Roswell.”

“All of New Mexico, you mean,” he quickly corrected her. She nodded and grinned up at him. Jim leaned in and kissed her in a hard, quick manner. “I love you, baby.” His lips moved upward and pressed a kiss to her temple, while their slippery fingers linked together above the surface of the bath water. Charlotte snuggled further into her handsome husband’s embrace, sighing contentedly.

“Mmm, I love you too, handsome,” she replied. Then a thought occurred to her and she shot up quickly and splashed more water onto the floor. “Shit! Jim, you were supposed to pick Jeremiah up at the airport.” He had forgotten about picking his younger son up from the airport after the 3 month camping trip he’d taken with a friend from school, because he was trying to focus on making things right with his ever so gorgeous wife, losing track of the time in the process.

He nodded but suddenly remembered the phone call he had exchanged with Jeremiah the day before:

Valenti Wood Shop – Outside of Roswell

Jim snatches up his cell phone on the second ring and answers in a gruff voice, “Hello?” He sat up straight at the sound of his younger son’s voice on the other end.

“Hey, Dad, how’s it going?” Jeremiah said through a slightly static-crackled line.

Jim smiled. “Hey, son,” he responded. “How was the camping trip? Did you have fun with Callie and her family?” Jeremiah and Callie Wilson had been friends since kindergarten and this was the first year Callie’s family had invited Jeremiah along for the trip. Jim knew it would be a matter of time before his son saw Callie in a new light.

“Yes. It was fun, Dad. I also have some surprising news…I asked Callie out and she said yes!” Jeremiah said with quiet enthusiasm. Jim chuckled at how excited his son was about his first “girlfriend”.

“That’s great, son. Did you need something else?” Jim asked softly.

On his end of the phone, Jeremiah scratched his sandy blonde head. “Um, yeah, are you and Mom doin’ okay? Because Kyle called me the other day and said she threw a vase at you,” his son said with soft hesitation, almost as if he was afraid of the answer.

“Yeah, we’re gonna be just fine, don’t you worry, son,” Jim responded. “I’ll tell her you said hello as well.”

“Thanks, Dad. Also, can you not pick me up at the airport tomorrow? Callie’s uncle and grandpa are gonna take us to a museum in Santa Fe and I knew you’d be okay with me going,” Jeremiah told Jim.

Jim scratched his head too. “I’m okay with it, and I’ll pass the message to your mother too,” he told his son. “I love you, Jeremiah.”

“Love you too, Dad,” Jeremiah said with affection. He and Jim ended the call and Jim felt small tears sting the corners of his eyes. He knew he was the luckiest man alive…

Present Day – Roswell

Charlotte felt her heart’s flood gates burst open at the way Jim put her and their family above everything else, including his carpentry shop. “Oh Jim…” she murmured quietly before turning around in his arms and splashing even more water onto the floor but not really caring. Her arms wrapped around his neck while his banded around her and they stayed like that for a few silent moments before Charlotte pulled back to gaze up at her husband in adoration and love. “I am so glad to call you my husband, James Valenti Jr. I am so glad we found each other again.”

“And I am too, Charlotte Elizabeth Valenti,” he replied in a soft murmur before capturing her mouth with his own, deepening it while pulling her closer to him, before lifting his head. “What do you say we get outta here then do some cuddling in our nice, warm sheets?” She smiled and nodded before pulling out of his arms to climb from the bathtub, grabbing a towel from the rack beside the door. Wrapping her nude body in the terry cloth, she waited until Jim had done – her chocolate brown eyes admiring his every move – the same before giving chase into their expanded bedroom. Her dark hair was slightly tousled by the time they fell onto the bed after they were finished wrestling for dominance.

Jim finally rolled to the side and Charlotte followed him, her head soon encompassed in the crook of his broad shoulder. She was soon fast asleep before Jim decided to succumb to the slumber he was trying so hard to fight.
“Aunt Cassie, Aunt Cassie!” two excited voices squealed as their favorite aunt began her trek into the 2-story house Kyle had purchased when Tess was pregnant with the twins. Cassandra Hunter Patterson was currently expecting baby number 2, with a successful law degree under her belt and a toddler in daycare. Her husband Sam was currently overseas in what the entire family – including her biological parents & siblings – hoped was the last time & they were all praying for his safe return.

Whenever he was gone, Cassandra would come to visit her bio parents and half-siblings Kyle, Jeremiah & Carrie in Roswell. “Hi, girls,” Cassandra said with a cheeky grin as she followed her nieces into the spacious living room. She glanced up and smiled at her sister in law as Tess waddled into the room. “Hey, Tess, how is the baby doing?” The two women were glad to have someone to talk about their pregnancies. As Cassandra waited for an answer from the blonde, she let herself get lost in the memories of when she first found out about her adoption:

June 2004 – Carlsbad, New Mexico

Her hand knocked on the front door she was so familiar with but didn’t expect anyone to answer as she stepped into her childhood home. Cassandra sent a look to her male companion along with a soft, sweet smile. “Coast is clear,” she whispered. Sam Patterson gave her a smile in return, clasping her hand firmly but gently in his and followed her into the dark house.

“Are you sure we won’t get caught, Casey?” Sam asked as she navigated the way to her father’s basement study.

Cassandra turned around and glared at him, planting her hands firmly on her slender hips. “Are you seriously kidding me right now, Samuel? Don’t tell me you are actually considering chickening out on me now,” she hissed out. At the look Sam gave her, she huffed then turned and stomped off. Sam caught up with her in the basement and planted himself between her and the door to the study.

“Cassandra, I am not in any way trying to chicken out on you, but I just want you to be sure you’re ready to find out the truth,” Sam said quietly.

“Sam, they have been keeping a secret from me and…I just want to know what it is,” Cassandra replied, her lower lip trembling. A tear slipped down her left cheek and Sam pulled her to him in a fierce but still gentle hug. He held her close for a few minutes as the sobs shook throughout her entire body. When she was finally finished, Sam held her waist as she began unlocking the door to her father’s study, following her inside and closing the door gently behind them. He stayed close to the door to keep a lookout for her parents in case Robert & Marianna Hunter came home early.

Cassandra was thrown free of her thoughts at the sharp jab from inside her 5 month pregnant belly. “I miss Daddy too, R.J., don’t worry,” she said as she rubbed her belly to calm her unborn son down a bit.

“R.J.?” Tess’ voice asked softly from beside her. Cassandra nodded eagerly.

“Yes. His full name will be Robert James Patterson, for my adopted dad and, of course, Jim,” the brunette replied with a smile.
Santa Fe International Airport

Jim couldn’t help but crack a smile at how hands-on Michael was with his family, Maria included. The alien hybrid was currently sitting across from the former sheriff with Mercedes in his lap and a well worn-out copy of Where the Wild Things Are in his hands. He could see that the little girl was getting ready to fall asleep to the sound of her father’s soft voice so Jim gets up and moves over to them, holding his arms out for Mercedes. Michael glances up and nods then moves her into Jim’s arms. Jim begins to move around a little bit before he felt Mercedes’ small body relaxing against him. Maria and Kyle returned from getting some snacks for the group during the long-ass flight to Paris. M.J. had already gone to see his grandma ahead of his parents – begging Maria to go with Sean instead – so here Michael sat to take his son’s seat on the plane. “What do you want to bed she’s a live-wire when we land in Paris?” Kyle said when he leaned around Maria to give Michael a grin.

Maria punched Kyle in the arm and he rubbed it as he glared at her. She made a face in response then said, without hesitation, “That’s your goddaughter, Kyle. Why don’t you show a little more respect, huh?”

From his spot on the other side of his ex-wife, Michael lets out a snort. “She told you, man,” he said to Kyle then shut up when Maria whirled around to give him a pointed glare.
Paris, France

Amy had to admit she was a little nervous about seeing her ex-fiancé after all these years. There were some nights where she wished she and Jim were still together but knew it would never happen. He was happy with Charlotte and their family was growing every which way, and Amy was getting married in a few days. She was currently rocking on her heels and biting nervously on the ends of her manicured fingernails while she waited for the rest of the group that was planning to visit her for the wedding to arrive. Amy let laughter bubble past her throat when she saw her granddaughter running toward her and she knelt so Mercedes could run into her open arms. “Hi baby girl, how was the plane ride?” she asked after pulling back to frame Mercedes’ heart-shaped face between her slender hands.

“I don’t ‘member, Grams,” Mercedes replied as both her parents, Kyle and Jim walked up to them. Amy stood then reached down to pick Mercedes up. “Papa Jim rocked me to sleep before we got on the plane in Santa Fe.” Amy looked to her daughter and former son in law for confirmation and they both nodded in response.

“Well, thank you, Jim. It was nice of you to do that for Michael and Maria,” Amy said with a smile. She suddenly knew they had gone down the paths they were supposed to, him to Charlotte and her, here to France and to Jacques.

Author’s Note 2: I know I said I’d do family fluff for this chapter but I wanted y’all to see how well Cassandra – the daughter Charlotte gave up for adoption – was faring as an adult. Plus, its back to work for me, and I couldn’t be more ready!